Top 10 Martial Arts

Martial arts are a phenomenon that took the Western world by storm during the late '60s. The word "martial" refers to the military but it's much more than warfare skills; it's a way of life. Television shows such as The Green Hornet and Kung Fu introduced audiences to the age-old Asian fighting traditions.

In the '70s, martial arts were all the rage. Before long, people were flocking to schools and training centers to learn how to spar like the athletes they admired on the big screen. The '80s remained fertile for martial arts pop culture, but it was with the explosion of Asian cinema and the advent of wirework in the '90s that it really became an obsession. Read on to find out which martial arts are the most popular, according to the number of websites dedicated to them (the search engine results were achieved by typing the discipline plus the phrase "martial art").

Number 10

Jeet Kune Do

Perhaps the only American martial art, jeet kune do was introduced to California by famed actor/fighter Bruce Lee during the '70s. It meshes Lee's spiritual, physical, scientific, social, and philosophical teachings. It's merely an account of the master's martial art evolution and growth.

Jeet kune do accepts students as they are without feeling the desire to mold them into any predetermined shape. Its chief characteristic is that it favors rapid combinations of movements to attack opponents, for instance, switching from grappling to kicking in a flash. Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon and Fists of Fury are great examples of his style.

Google.com produced 10,600 websites dedicated to jeet kune do.

Number 9

Capoeira

This art comes not from the Far East but from Brazil. It was invented by African slaves some 400 years ago and is often displayed as a form of dance. It is believed that the slaves disguised it as dancing so as to not alert their owners of their rebellious knowledge and suffer the consequences.

It involves acrobatics such as warped cartwheels, handstands and back flips, and is performed with music. This art of freedom was prominently displayed in the 1993 high-school gang film Only the Strong .

Google.com produced 12,900 websites dedicated to capoeira.

Number 8

Kickboxing

Thailand was the breeding ground for this sport, which is also referred to as Muay Thai. The first written account of the sport dates back to 1411 and used to be part of military training. Thai kings were also great enthusiasts. Later, participants dipped their glue-covered fists into ground glass to inflict maximum pain.

It consists of traditional boxing but allows the participants to kick their opponent as well. The Kickboxer movie franchise, the first of which starred Jean-Claude Van Damme, made the sport its focal point.

Google.com produced 18,200 websites dedicated to kickboxing.

Number 7

Kendo

Literally meaning "way of the sword," kendo is the Japanese form of fencing that was developed in the late 19th century. Originally, steel and wooden swords were used but due to serious injuries they inflicted, bamboo swords — or shinai — are now employed to avoid injuries, as is demonstrated in films such as Aloha Summer . A cord runs along the four-foot long shinai and the objective is to strike the opponent with the side opposite the cord, with the top third of the stick.

Google.com produced 18,500 websites dedicated to kendo.

Number 6

Tae Kwon Do

Korean in origin, tae kwon do is one of the most popular martial arts in the world. Originating in the 1st century BC as Taekkyon, it was mainly a military skill. Once bloody kingdom wars ended in 670 AD, an elite group of noblemen, the Hwa Rang Do, dedicated themselves to spreading peace and their honor code, which is the philosophy behind modern tae kwon do.

The sport Soo Bahk Do became popular in the second millennium but Japanese occupation in the early 20th century sought to destroy Korean culture, and karate directly influenced how tae kwon do was developed. The sport, which often incorporates weapons like the cane, the staff and the two-section stick, took its modern name in 1957. The Eric Roberts/Philip Rhee movie series Best of the Best deals with tae kwon do.